backhoe attachment vs a separate machine

[4570Man]

I used to have a tractor backhoe. It was good at the time, I used it a lot and did a lot of work I couldn’t have done without it. I have a mini x now though and there’s a world of difference in the 2.

 

[pokey1416]

If I had to give up my tractor mounted backhoe there would be no use in owning the tractor. I put the backhoe on in June or earlier and don’t take it off until October. I would guess that almost half of my 400 hrs in the last 1-1/2 yrs has been on the backhoe.

 

[Gord Baker]

Remember the 3 "F's". If it Flies, Floats or .......... Lease it. How often will you really need a Backhoe, Excavator, Mini anything? Cost efficient? No. Fun? Yes.

 

[4570Man]

Remember the 3 "F's". If it Flies, Floats or .......... Lease it. How often will you really need a Backhoe, Excavator, Mini anything? Cost efficient? No. Fun? Yes.

If you find a good deal you can sell an older backhoe and recoup all of your money. I’d call that a pretty cost effective solution.

 

[Little Red Tractor]

It may have alread been said; but I considered adding a backhoe to my tractor, which has a FEL. It would have run about 6500 bucks. I can rent a mini excavator, delivered, for about 500 for a weekend. One weekend a year is 13 years worth of a better machine, and ZERO in upkeep and storage issues.

 

[DK35vince]

It may have alread been said; but I considered adding a backhoe to my tractor, which has a FEL. It would have run about 6500 bucks. I can rent a mini excavator, delivered, for about 500 for a weekend. One weekend a year is 13 years worth of a better machine, and ZERO in upkeep and storage issues.

Thats one way to look at it.
I look at it as I can put my tractor mounted backhoe on any time I want to use it within minutes, without the hustle of scheduling/hauling and cost of renting a machine.
I paid $5200 for my 8 1/2' tractor mounted backhoe 20 years ago and have done a lot of work with it. I'm guessing I could still sell it for several thousand $$ today.
(8 1/2' digging depth, 11' reach)
So it lost around $2500 or so in value over the last 2 decades, available to me anytime year round and I'll still have and use it for years to come.
Thats a far cry from your $500 per weekend rental cost.

 

[Richard]

I agree in general that only you can decide if it makes sense. I started with an industrial backhoe/loader....then got a tractor so for me, I didn't need to debate the question. Someone said the industrials will make shorter work of something and that's true (I've never worked on an excavator so can't comment)

Years ago, my father asked if he could hire me....wanted me to drive 7 hours to visit him for the weekend. He wanted a row of shrubs dug up and was going to rent a backhoe/loader. Wanted me to visit for the weekend BUT, do the work since I had a machine.

I said no problem....but that an industrial would probably be the best thing to get. Well....he got a Terramite. This was better than using a shovel but literally, still took all day (actually two days) to get the job done. It had nowhere near the power my machine has (we're talking gasoline engine with ?? HP verses around 90 HP on the JCB) What really killed me though was the reach. I'm used to being able to reach out roughly 20 feet and this thing would maybe only go 8-9 feet outward (not down).

After I got the job done, after the Terrimite's backhoe controls broke on me (bolt holding wobble stick stripped out) I realized that had he listened to me, the job that took 12/14 hours to do with the Terrimite would have probably taken me 4-5 hours with a machine like mine.

Put me in the camp of two machines are better than one. ALSO, if you have a DUFAS moment like I've had....not once.....but twice.....where you do something stupid.... for example having an area where you KNOW there is running water. You KNOW it's muddy. You KNOW that your tractor will sink into the mud if you get too close and you KNOW that if you get the tractor there you're stuck because the tractor has a 15' flexwing mower behind it and will pack with mud to get no traction..... it's very nice to have a second machine to pull it out. It's nice when that second machine has a long reaching backhoe to allow you to keep IT clear of the muck so you can flex the backhoe to pull the tractor and flexwing out of the muck.

I'm just reporting this for a friend....ignore the pictures, it's someone's attempt to frame me I'm sure.

 

[mkendrix]

I have an old IH with a loader on a small farm with livestock. When a horse… dies, it’s a day off work and $100 for a friend to dig a hole and burry it. After 11 large animals dying, I finally found a used backhoe to adapt the subframe to my tractor. Now I can dig holes, trench water lines… at my convenience. No scheduling, trip/delivery charges or days off work for projects that should take hours. I can use it for digging a foundation for a new house and if it rains 4 out of 5 days, I’m not paying for it to sit. Sure, renting a dedicated machine would be better/faster but then I’d HAVE to use it on a schedule. It cost me $2500 and about $500 to make a self contained pto power unit. $3,000 for someone to dig a foundation.

 

[Joel/ak]

Wish we would have gone bigger on both....lol

I'll take it though. Sure beats a shovel

 

[Joel/ak]

Paid 13k for the mini with 1400 hours on it. Been flawless for the last couple of years. Cheaper ways to get both? Sure but everything has their place

 

[Diggin It]

I really get tired of the rental schtick. That might work for people who have rental yards close that always have machines available and that have the means to transport it.

I've been planning on digging a trench to lay a line. I've been watching the weather to pick a day. This time of year, forecasts beyond a few hours are generally worthless, let alone a few days out, which is what many yards require for scheduling.

Seven o-clock this morning, I stepped outside and all was right for weather and soil conditions. Started the tractor, dropped the tiller, picked up the BH and I was digging a half hour later. On a Sunday when most yards are closed, or only on half day schedules.

Took me most of the day, and didn't finish until after four ... too late to have loaded up a machine and return it.

 

[etpm]

About 12 years ago I bought a very worn Case 580CK backhoe just to install my septic system. I paid 5 grand for it. My neighbor, a good friend, tried to talk me out of the purchase and to instead rent. I have never regretted buying the backhoe. It is a HUGE advantage to be able to fire the thing up and use it when I want to, like when I had to dig up a broken water line, the line from my well to everything else. On a Sunday.
Now I want to find a small backhoe to put on the back of my Yanmar YM2310. I can't afford a mini excavator. And even though the small backhoe on the back of my much lighter YM2310 won't dig like the case I know it would get plenty of use. Unlike the Case though if I get a small backhoe it will also have a thumb, one way or another.
Eric

 

[Joel/ak]

We looked at the rental prices. Stupid crazy. Was almost $1500 a week to rent a mini. Now I can use it whenever. Not the biggest but I can reach 14ft and dig 8 1/2' down.

 

[Joel/ak]

About 12 years ago I bought a very worn Case 580CK backhoe just to install my septic system. I paid 5 grand for it. My neighbor, a good friend, tried to talk me out of the purchase and to instead rent. I have never regretted buying the backhoe. It is a HUGE advantage to be able to fire the thing up and use it when I want to, like when I had to dig up a broken water line, the line from my well to everything else. On a Sunday.
Now I want to find a small backhoe to put on the back of my Yanmar YM2310. I can't afford a mini excavator. And even though the small backhoe on the back of my much lighter YM2310 won't dig like the case I know it would get plenty of use. Unlike the Case though if I get a small backhoe it will also have a thumb, one way or another.
Eric

Gotta have a thumb.

 

[Diggin It]

Wandering around this morning looking at what needs to be done. Decide to dig the spent ash and debris out of the fire pit.

Did I really need to use the BH that was already on the tractor? Maybe not.
Did it beat using a hand shovel? You betcha'.
Did I save a half a day not having to call around and arrange transportation? You betcha'.

 

[rbstern]

Wandering around this morning looking at what needs to be done. Decide to dig the spent ash and debris out of the fire pit.

Did I really need to use the BH that was already on the tractor? Maybe not.
Did it beat using a hand shovel? You betcha'.
Did I save a half a day not having to call around and arrange transportation? You betcha'.

It's hard to calculate the value of the convenience of having a tractor mounted backhoe always available, even with it's lighter capability than a dedicated machine. I put a lot of value on it.

 

[Vigo327]

So i'm pretty light on experience in both areas. I've used one mini-x (borrowed) and one backhoe (mine), both maybe 30-40hrs each. But, i have used both!

I would say the main thing you notice with the tractor backhoe is that you can pick up dirt but you have a lot harder time putting it down, as in you run out of space to dump the material you're digging up pretty quick just because you're limited to that ~180 degree swing unless you want to move the machine.

2nd thing is the reduced reach vs typical mini-x. Also reduces your options for dropping material and requires moving more often.

3rd harder to move the machine.

So you could say a tractor backhoe is like 1/3rd the digging machine that a mini-x of comparable overall size (not reach) is, but.. it could be LESS than 1/3rd the price. I got a crazy deal on my B8200 w/subframe backhoe needing work.. but there basically ARE no crazy deals on mini-Xs because everyone wants one. Cheapest i've seen locally was like 8k needing an unknown amount of work. I'd have to get an older one the right size for like 4k, and from what i've seen it's not gonna happen because a: there aren't many out there, and b: if someone lists a mini-x of any anything whatsoever for 4k it's gonna sell in 30 seconds and i'll never see it.

So im pretty happy with what i've got because it's what im willing to afford. As a lifelong mechanic who always buys things broken for pennies on the dollar (like my backhoe) a mini-x just isn't realistic and i don't have enough of a need to spend what they're 'worth' to get one at normal prices.

What i MIGHT do, is put a full backhoe attachment (with swing, outriggers etc) on the front of my tiny skid steer. It'd sure be cheaper than buying a mini-x but would address a lot of the issues.

 

[rScotty]

It's hard to calculate the value of the convenience of having a tractor mounted backhoe always available, even with it's lighter capability than a dedicated machine. I put a lot of value on it.

And that's what this debate always comes down to. It's not really about the backhoe or not. It's a question of how we value our time versus our money.

I'm lazy & convenience is valuable to me. I guess some people are just built that way.
But I have noticed that people who value their time not only have a backhoe, but probably another tractor too.

Like Vigo327 says above, it doesn't take money to buy broken things & fix them.
One of the great equalizers is there are no restrictions on fixing broken machines.
Anyone can do it.
rScotty

 

[2manyrocks]

Years ago, I had the choice of buying a Terramite or a tractor BH attachment to dig my septic system and some drainage lines. A tractor dealer cautioned me that he had seen some tractor rear ends broken when used in BH operations. That pretty much steered me towards the Terramite because I didn't want to break my tractor.

It's been very handy to have a separate machine. It still gets used and is getting used pretty hard at the moment on a project clearing out some small saplings and saplings.

Used ones are about 2x what I paid. Had to rebuild the steering box and replace the engine along with some cylinder seals and hoses along the way, but no surprises there.

These things were sold off from rental fleets that have apparently gone to full size machines and/or Kubotas with BHs. Like everything else (more better, more money), you have to figure out what's available and what it's going to cost to own and use.

 

[dennis103]

I have a few rentals in the country. Septic tank lids need to be dug up with not much notice, a stump here and there, a culvert, just because I could. I have the 9' back hoe for my tractor and wouldn't be without it. I love the convenience of it being there any time I need or want it. I can store it inside and don't feel bad if I don't use it for a year. I'm not sure I can justify the cost, but its a lot cheeper than another machine and the maintenance that goes with it.